The Laugavegur Trail: Iceland's Highland Trek

The Laugavegur is Iceland's best-known multi-day hike, running about 55 kilometres through the southern highlands from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk. Most walkers take three to four days, staying in mountain huts run by Ferðafélag Íslands, and it is a summer-only route because of snow, rivers, and fast-changing highland weather. This guide covers the stages, the huts, the season, and how to walk it safely.

The Laugavegur trail at a glance

The essentials before you plan the trek.

The route and its stages

Most people walk north to south, from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, descending about 500 metres overall. The usual stages are Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker at about 12 kilometres, Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn at about 12 kilometres, Álftavatn to Emstrur (Botnar) at about 16 kilometres, and Emstrur to Þórsmörk at about 15 kilometres, with Hvanngil as an optional extra hut between Álftavatn and Emstrur. A four-day guided Laugavegur trek follows this classic route. The landscape changes as you go, from the rhyolite hills and obsidian around Hrafntinnusker, the highest point, where snow can linger into summer, through black sands and river plains, to the birch woods of Þórsmörk. Many walkers extend the route from Þórsmörk over the Fimmvörðuháls pass to Skógar.

The mountain huts

The overnight stops along the Laugavegur are mountain huts run by Ferðafélag Íslands, the Icelandic Touring Association, at Hrafntinnusker, Álftavatn, Hvanngil, and Emstrur (Botnar). They are basic dormitory-style shelters with bunks and shared cooking space, and they fill up fast in summer, so beds must be booked well in advance. Camping is allowed at marked spots beside the huts if you carry a tent. Facilities are limited once you leave the trailhead, so bring your own food, a stove, and everything you need for the days between huts.

When to hike: the summer season

The Laugavegur is walkable in summer only. Ferðafélag Íslands gives an average open window of about 25 June to 15 September, and the route is commonly described as late June to early or mid-September, but the exact dates move each year with snow melt and river levels. Outside that window the trail and the highland F-roads to the trailheads are usually blocked by snow. There is no fixed calendar to rely on, so check road.is for road access to Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk and safetravel.is for conditions and alerts, and treat no date here as a live report.

Highland weather and river crossings

The highlands demand respect, and two things catch people out. The weather can shift fast, with cold, wind, and rain arriving quickly and even summer snow possible at higher elevations such as Hrafntinnusker, so carry warm and waterproof layers even in July. The route also crosses several unbridged glacial rivers, notably near Álftavatn and between Emstrur and Þórsmörk, and these rise through the day as the sun melts ice upstream. Cross early in the morning when levels are lowest, unclip your pack's waist strap before you wade so you can shed it if you fall, and turn back from any river that looks too high or fast. Before you set out, register your route and dates at safetravel.is so the rescue teams know where to look if something goes wrong.

Getting to the trailheads

Both ends of the trail sit deep in the highlands. Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk are reached in summer by 4x4 highland bus from Reykjavik or the south coast, or on a guided trip, and both lie on mountain F-roads that are legally limited to 4x4 vehicles. The road into Þórsmörk crosses the Krossá, one of the most difficult river fords in the country, which is why most visitors arrive by the high-clearance bus rather than driving. If you would rather have the huts, transport, and river crossings arranged for you, compare guided and self-guided options in our Laugavegur and highland treks.

Look at the roads first

Use Iceland road conditions alongside this guide to The Laugavegur Trail: Iceland's Highland Trek, particularly when weather may affect access.